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Doctors Academy

What is a Literature (Research) Review?

  • Definition: 

    • An overview of the previously published research on a topic

    • A collection of studies on the topic being investigated

  • “An academic book report”

  • Your literature reviews will be written in American Psychological Association (APA) style, 7th edition.

Purpose of a Literature Review

Why Conduct a Literature Review?

  • Provides most relevant theories and studies on your topic

  • Establishes the context for your research.

  • Identifies gaps and areas for further study.

Steps in Conducting a Literature Review

1.) Define Your Topic

  • Clearly articulate the research question or topic.

2.) Search (PubMed) for Relevant Literature

  • Use academic databases, libraries, and credible sources.

3.) Review and Select Sources

  • Evaluate the quality and relevance of each source.

4.) Organize and Summarize

  • Categorize sources and summarize key points.

5.) Identify Gaps and Trends

  • Note areas lacking research or emerging patterns.

Components of a Literature Review (3 parts)

  • Introduction

    • One paragraph or up to 1.5 pages

    • Introduce topic under investigation

    • Explain significance of topic

    • Describe the structure of of the literature review itself

  • Body

    • Background information (e.g. definitions, history, etc.)

    • Group studies via themes, trends, approaches etc.

    • Point out any flaws, gaps, or inconsistencies you noticed in the literature

  • Conclusion

    • Summarize major studies guiding your review

    • Point out any connections or gaps you’ve discovered in the literature

    • Explicitly state your hypothesis

Tips for Writing a Literature Review

  • Be clear and consistent with your vocabulary

  • Provide a clear structure: introduction, body, conclusion.

  • Use proper citation and referencing (APA 7th edition)

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Not using peer-reviewed sources

  • Not including recent sources

  • Not providing a clear connection between studies cited

  • Failure to connect sources to research question

Importance of Literature Reviews

Why Are Literature Reviews Important?

  • They contribute to the existing body of knowledge

  • They guide future research directions

Organizing Information for a Lit Review

  • Most literature reviews are organized by theme.

  • Some authors may provide a chronological or methodological organization.  

  • Once you find all of your papers, you will begin to see what your organization may look like.  

Practical Reading Strategies:

  • Highlight, underline, and annotate

  • Consider building a table of findings (or checklist) you want to include in your paper.

  • Remember read backwards - Findings and discussion have all the good stuff! 

Synthesis [way more than summarizing]

  • Many guides to writing a literature review suggest you summarize AND synthesize the the findings.

  • Students biggest problem when first trying to write a literature review is that they often just summarize.

  • Summarization ≠ Synthesis

  • Synthesize: combine separate elements to form a whole.

Literature Review Example